Justin Savidis

Biography

In 2004, Justin (AJ), 41, and his wife, Rebecca, packed their worldly belongings into a truck and a trailer, complete with a rocking chair strapped to the top, and moved to Willow, Alaska to follow a job offer, and more importantly, to chase down a dream of running dogs. It was a quick journey from having a couple of dogs and handling for other mushers to establishing a kennel of their own, and then setting the goal to prepare for and race in the Iditarod. Today, they operate Snowhook Kennel comprised of 40+ dogs—some are rescues, some procured from other mushers, and others are a result of the Snowhook Kennel recipe. Growing up in Southeast Idaho, Justin has always sought out adventure including mountaineering and whitewater kayaking. Mushing and the Iditarod are a natural fit for Justin’s sense of and need for adventure—he and the dogs live for pulling the snow hook! Justin’s racing career includes the Rich Allen ‘For Love of Dogs’ award for exceptional dog care and a 5th place finish in the 2013 Northern Lights 300, a 1st place finish in the 2012 Don Bowers Memorial Sled Dog Race, and a 1st place finish and receiving the Humanitarian Award in the 2011 Don Bowers Memorial Sled Dog Race—the awards for dog care are by far the bigger honors. Justin earned his degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism with an emphasis on experiential education from the University of Utah in 2002. Driven to help others, his career path has been focused on working with youth at risk. In addition to running dogs, Justin enjoys kayaking, climbing, languages and reading.